Last Updated on June 30, 2016 by Michael Brockbank
I’ve decided to go all in for July. I turn 40 soon, and I would rather not be as round as I am. So, here it is. I am committing to a 30 day weight loss regimen in order to lose as much as possible, short of hurting myself. I’ve got three weeks before my birthday, and I would love to be smaller than I was when I first moved to this part of Colorado. You might be wondering how I am going to do this.
My 30 Day Weight Loss Plan for July
I wish I had more time to plan out everything, but I am a spur-of-the-moment kind of guy. Based on what I know of myself, I have a pretty good idea about how to get into better shape before the month is over. let’s take a look…
The Tools I will Use
I have a list of tools that I use for fitness. They are listed above in case you’re interested. However, here is the breakdown of what I am going to use and how they will impact my 30 day weight loss challenge:
- MyFitnessPal: This will monitor the majority of my progress. From foods to exercise, everything will be listed in this profile.
- Exercise.com: I use this site to earn points through exercises and to break my personal records.
- Fitbit Charge HR: Obviously this little guy will be on my wrist throughout the entire month. This is an awesome gadget to monitor calorie burn, steps and much more.
- Runkeeper: I use this to monitor my walks and bike rides. It’s an accurate system that I love using, and it will update MyFitnessPal automatically.
- Taylor Smart Scale: This is a newer addition to my tool box. This smart scale is a pain in the ass to connect through Bluetooth but works beautifully once it’s connected. It automatically posts my weight to MyFitnessPal and Runkeeper every morning.
Foods
Food is going to be an important factor. After all, I plan on being a bit of a pig on my birthday. That means I have to be really good before and after. I’m really not going to change too much, though. Here are some of the goodies I plan on picking up:
- Breakfasts: Cream of Wheat
- Lunch: Progresso Soups
- Dinner: What ever the wife is cooking, but in moderation
Pretty basic, I know. I am using MyFitnessPal to monitor all of my intake. If I can cut back on the sweets a bit and bring in some healthier snacks, all will be fine. I am pretty good at keeping an eye on my intake to keep my calories in the green.
Getting More to Eat
The last time I lost 20+ pounds, I was able to keep myself in check fairly well. If I wanted more to eat, I walked or did extra exercises in order to burn the calories for what I wanted. For this 30 day weight loss challenge, I am going to focus on the same principle. For instance, last time I walked nearly three miles just so I could have pizza for dinner.
Exercises
Ok, so here is where it’s going to get tough. I need to commit to a similar routine that I had last time. Unfortunately, I don’t have as much time available as I did in the past. Luckily, I have a great deal of time available in the afternoons to put towards physical activity. Here are some of the things I have planned:
- Average 300 points per day according to Exercise.com
- More dumbbell and tension band workouts – since I have these at home
- Semi-regular nightly walks with the wife
- Average 10 miles per week riding my bicycle
- Commit to 20 minutes of vigorous cleaning every night – which helps keep the house clean while burning calories
Oh, I have a ton of ideas about how to exercise and which routines I want to focus on. It’s the committal part that I have a problem with. However, I have confidence that I can power through the next month and be in the best shape I’ve been in for over 10 years.
Revamping the Schedule
I am currently in the process of revamping my daily routine. This will not only help me get into better shape, but it will also help me professionally. It’s all about finding balance throughout the day and how it can benefit your life. Organizing the day is a major part of finding some of that balance.
Being Committed
The hardest thing for me is to commit to a specific routine. I’ve always had to do things against the grain, and it hasn’t really worked out for me. This is why I am going to put every ounce of effort I can into achieving my goals this month. Not only would I like to prove it to you that I can do this, but I need to prove it to myself. This is a big reason why I started the blog in the first place. It’s a bit different when you have people watching what you do. As I don’t want to let my readers down, I need to have greater focus.
Keeping Track of it All
I am going to set up a running record of everything I am doing this month. Although it won’t be published until after my 30 day weight loss challenge is over, it’ll give me something to focus on each day. I will record every morsel of food and every activity so others can see exactly what I did to accomplish my goal. I am kind of eager to see how much I can lose over the next 30 days.
Following My Progress
Luckily, Runkeeper will display certain types of activity on my Twitter account as it happens. For instance, everyone can see when I went for a walk as soon as I hit the finish button. However, it won’t show my food and other types of exercise. If you’re curious about how I’m doing at any point, my profile pages are available directly from “My Tools” located above. Feel free to drop me a message at any time.
So, here we go. Tomorrow starts the first day of the rest of my life. Come hell or high water, I will be dressing up as a super hero for Halloween this year. Whether it’s Captain America or the Blob, it’s up to how I perform over the next few months. This 30 day weight loss challenge is but a first step to become the person I know I can be. It’s more than just slimming down the waistline. It’s about finding the man I was 20 years ago, but even better now that I have the benefit of experience.
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